No Lack Of Sub-plots To This Game

Spurrier Gets First Crack At Facing Cowboys Today

November 28, 2002|By WARNER HESSLER Daily Press

IRVING, TEXAS — The Washington-Dallas rivalry used to be about winning divisions or making the playoffs. Now, with both teams usually grouped with also-rans, it's about game balls, the University of Georgia and The Streak.

The main thing on the minds of Cowboys coach Dave Campo and Redskins coach Steve Spurrier when their teams meet today in Texas Stadium is winning. Dallas is 4-7 with slim playoff hopes. Washington is 5-6 and needs to keep winning to make its Dec. 29 regular-season finale with the Cowboys at home meaningful.

While the game may be lacking in quality, there's no shortage of sub-plots that accompany this rivalry.

First there's the comment Spurrier made when he was hired in January. He said he would present team owner Dan Snyder with a game ball after he beat the Cowboys. By the time the statement made it to Dallas, it sounded like Spurrier was guaranteeing a victory.

"I haven't gotten any game ball picked out for anybody,'' Spurrier said earlier this week. "The only thing I said was when we beat the Cowboys was when I was going to give Dan Snyder a game ball. I never guaranteed a win in my life. It may be this year, or it may not. He will not get a game ball from me until we beat the Cowboys.''

If Snyder wants a game ball, though, Cowboys' snapper Jeff Grau said he will help.

"I hope it comes down to a game-winning field goal and we make the kick,'' said Grau, who was drafted by the Redskins in the spring and released during training camp. "I'll go down and grab the game-winning ball and mail it to him.''

Something else Spurrier said in January has become part of this week's pre-game buzz. He said he would like to make the Cowboys "our Georgia,'' a reference to Spurrier's 11-1 record against Georgia while he was coach at the University of Florida.

"That's an interesting comment,'' Campo said.

Then there's the streak, one that began with the second meeting of the 1997 season. The two teams have overhauled their rosters since then. Washington has gone through four head coaches and Dallas has had three. But the results have been the same. The Cowboys have won the past nine games in the series, the longest current streak in the league.

"I don't know what it is,'' Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones said. "I haven't felt like we were a team that ought to be able to dominate like that. We've gone through three head coaches to get those nine wins.''

Don't forget the Cowboys are 5-0 against the Redskins on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas.

Dallas tight end Tony McGee, who was on the wrong end of such streaks when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals, believes psychology plays a role in a team's dominance over another.

"When you go into a game and a team has a streak against you, even when you get ahead it's like you're not supposed to be ahead,'' he said. "Guys play tentative and scared to lose, and when something really bad happens you start getting a psychological block.''

Cowboys' guard Ross Tucker, who was released by the Redskins last month to make room for guard Tre Johnson, said there is a difference in how the teams approach the rivalry.

"When I was up there, we had extra motivation to beat the Cowboys,'' he said. "They have a confidence about it here because the Cowboys have something good going against the Redskins.''

Spurrier's overhauling of the Redskins' roster may eliminate Dallas' psychological advantage. Twenty-five of Washington's 53 players haven't lost to the Cowboys while wearing the burgundy and gold.

"I understand the streak,'' said linebacker Jessie Armstead, who signed as a free agent this year after nine seasons with the New York Giants, "but you've got new guys in here now. We have beaten Dallas before (with other teams). We're not nine-time losers to Dallas.''

There's still some good, old-time animosity between the teams that would have fit in back when games were important and hatred filled the air.

"I hate the Cowboys, always have,'' said Redskins defensive tackle Daryl Gardener, who played his first season in Miami.

"We don't like the Redskins,'' Campo said. "It doesn't matter if it's Spurrier, or (former coach Marty) Schottenheimer or (former coach Norv) Turner. We don't care. We just don't like the Redskins.''

Warner Hessler can be reached at 247-4648 or by e-mail at whessler@dailypress.com.